Admin Saovaluck wrote on 22
nd Apr, 2015 at 9:33am:
I'm not from the rural area so I don't see people working the fields. From my understanding, the fields in Thailand are much bigger to feed their growing population, and to sell internationally, so they need more resources like a tractor to help do the job.
Thais are snobs, especially those in the city. Using Facebook or not going out in the sun has got nothing to do with it, it's their personality that bothers many Laotians.
There are more tourists enjoying themselves in cities like Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, than those roaming out to rural areas to see poor people. Tourists don't care if the locals are rich or poor, it's all about the entertainment and the sightseeing.
Most people travel to Laos for sightseeing which includes visiting beautiful rural areas and touring Luang Prabang for a few days. The beautiful scenery and historically laidback Lao people are what attract tourists to the country. The forests are starting to disappear and locals in tourist areas are increasingly becoming more unfriendly and jaded. Overall, the number of tourists who travel to Laos is dependent upon those who travel to Thailand. There is a correlation because Bangkok is the hub of the region and most people visit Laos only after stopping over in Thailand for awhile.
The prices in Thailand have been rising by the day and more and more are losing interest and choose to travel to other destinations. There has been an increase in Chinese and Russian tourists and the Chinese will frankly ruin wherever they visit because many Chinese litter and they are generally stingy travelers.
The growth rate for tourism in Thailand will probably reach its peak soon and plummet quickly. THere is also a huge real estate bubble in the PRC, which when it bursts, will have profound implications for Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. By extension, Lao will also have problems.
Once Laos loses its resources and once it loses scenery, it will also lose its primary ways of making money and the economy will start to unfold.